The man who attempted to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico yesterday, Wednesday, and was arrested by the police is a well-known Slovak poet and writer named Juraj Cintula, aged 71. He is known for founding a literary club and publishing three poetry collections, and previously worked for a private security company.
The Slovak news site Aktuality.sk reported that Cintula's son stated that his father is the legal owner of the firearm license and said, "I have no idea at all what my father intended, or what he planned, or what happened." Local television channel TA3 reported that four out of five bullets struck the leftist Prime Minister in the abdomen as he exited a government meeting in the town of Handlová, central Slovakia, where many heard gunshots as he came out of a building to greet a crowd waiting to welcome him. Security personnel quickly subdued Cintula.
Official reports released on Thursday morning confirmed the seriousness of Fico's health situation, as he was injured in the abdomen, chest, and limbs due to the attack that took place in the town of Handlová, more than 150 kilometers from the capital Bratislava. Fico was speaking to his party supporters outside a cultural center when several gunshots were heard, according to a news report broadcasted by private channel TV Joj.
The motive for poet Cintula's assassination attempt on the head of state, described as a small country in Central Europe with little history of political violence, remains unclear, aside from his statement in the video that he was against Fico's policies. It is known that Fico, who returned as Prime Minister for the fourth time, has faced criticism from some circles for taking a more pro-Russian stance during the Ukraine war.
